A Mystery at Friar Park
by NatashaPavlova
Summary: Dhani Harrison's best friend was the daughter of the head gardener and the head cook at Friar park. Her name is Amelia, and She has blonde hair and blue eyes. At a young age, Amelia and Dhani grew very close and when things go wrong in the kitchen and in the garden just a few months apart, Dhani promises to help her. A Mystery's in the balance and a murder's on the loose.
1. Chapter 1

Amelia giggled as she and Dhani ran through the gardens together. Both their Daddies were working in the garden and they usually played together. Dhani was only 8 and Amelia was just a year younger at the age of 7. She love to play with Dhani and Dhani certainly seemed to love playing with her too.

"Dhani don't bother Amelia," Dhani's father, George Harrison said seriously.

"Oh, sorry Ami." Dhani said sheepishly. Amelia giggled and shook her head.

"It's OK, Mr. George." she said, "I like to play with Dhani!" She grabbed Dhani's hand ans they ran toward a bush. Amelia hid behind it while Dhani started to count for a game of hide-and-seek.

"I'm sorry if Amelia's ever any trouble for you," Amelia's father, Pete Smith said to George as they both pulled up weeds in the flower garden. George shrugged.

"It's not a problem, I just worry Dhani doesn't know when to stop sometimes." George said watching as his son chased Amelia around the bush a couple of times. Pete chuckled.

"Well she absolutely adores him." Pete said as Amelia stopped and Dhani grabbed her arm. They laughed and sat on the ground. They were watching the clouds and pointing out random shapes and things. George laughed lightly and stood up. He dusted off his jeans and helped Pete up.

"Well looks like we got out there just in time!" Amelia's mother, Andrea said as she and Olivia, Dhani's mother, walked up with trays of lemonade and sandwiches.

"Mommy!" Amelia shrieked with laughter as she got up and ran to her mother. Andrea hugged her daughter as Dhani accepted a sandwich and a glass of lemonade from his mum. He sat down on the grounds with his food and George sat next to him.

"Hello," Dhani said smiling at his dad. George smiled and nodded.

"Hello, son." he said before he bit into his sandwich.

Amelia sat next to Dhani on the ground as Andrea passed out the contents of her tray to Amelia and Pete, "You boys have done a magnificent job out here." Andrea said looking at the flowers and trimmed bushes.

"Aw, thanks love," Pete said as she sat next to him. Pete put his arm around his wife and he kissed her cheek.

"George, Ringo called a few minutes ago." Olivia said stacking up the trays and sitting across from George. He nudged her foot with his and smirked.

"What'd Richie want?" he asked. Dhani perked up and seemed curious to what his parents were talking about. Amelia didn't care too much, she didn't know who Ringo or Richie was, so she looked around the garden for potential hiding places for the next hide-and-seek game. When she finished her food, Dhani grabbed her hand and they ran around a bit longer while the grown ups talked to one another.

"Dhani," Amelia said as she slid her arm around his shoulders, "Who's Ringo and Richie?" Dhani smiled.

"He's my uncle," Dhani said shrugging, "Well not really my uncle. My Dad knew him for a very long time."

"Oh," Amelia said, "They're the same person?" Dhani laughed and nodded.

"Sure!" he said, "Is name's Richard, but he's called Ringo for some reason." he said. Amelia giggled and left the conversation alone as they started to run around again. When the sun started to go down Pete and George stopped their gardening.

"Amelia, love, come on!" Pete called to his daughter, "It's time to say goodbye to Dhani!" Amelia's shoulder's slumped and she sighed.

"Bye Dhani." She said sadly. Dhani hugged her and she grinned at him before he ran toward the giant house he lived in. Amelia took her father's hand and they walked toward the little house George and Olivia gave them to live in at the edge of the property. When they got there, Amelia ran to her room and plopped on her bed. She loved her bedroom. It was in the very front of the house on the second level. He room was the only one in the second level. She had a big window with long yellow curtains. Her room was a light purple color with white flowers scattered everywhere. Her bed was against the window so she could look out at sky at night to see the stars and they the sky during the day to see the clouds and the sun shine. She had white dresser full of all her clothes and she had a small cupboard in the wall where she kept her secret things. Though they weren't very secret because she's shown in to Dhani and her parents know where it is too.

Amelia leaned back on her bed and looked up at the sky through her widow and she sighed. She already missed Dhani. She hated when she had to come home. Her mum got to stay at the bigger house and cook, sometimes she got to stay with her mother and eat dinner with the Harrisons, but most of the time she had to go home with her dad. The sun was going down fast and Amelia felt suddenly very sleepy.

"Ami!" Pete called loudly up the stairs, "It's time for dinner!" Amelia got up from her bed. Her father always made her dinner, even though her mother was a cook. Her mum didn't have the time to make the Harrison's dinner and come home in time to make dinner for her and her dad. Amelia got downstairs and she sat down at the kitchen table with her dad. They ate a yummy meal of vegetable stew and toast. Pete wasn't a bad cook at all, and because he was a gardener, George allowed him to whatever crops he grew near the little house they lived in as long as the kitchen was supplied as well.

They were nearly finished eating and having a laugh when a frantic knock came on the front door. Pete got up from the table and he ruffled Amelia's hair before he walked out of the room to answer the door.

"Pete," It was George. Pete smiled at him as Dhani ran past him to Amelia. Amelia smiled at him as George called after him. Pete waved it off and motioned for George to go ahead and say what he needed to.

"Pete it's about Andrea." George said with a slightly low tone so Amelia wouldn't hear, "Something's happened to her." Pete's smile faded and he glanced at the kids.

"Um, Ami love, why don't you take Dhani upstairs to your room while I talk to Mr. George, hm?" Pete said with a clearly fake smile. Amelia looked at him, knowing something was wrong, nodded and took Dhani's hand. They ran upstairs, but Amelia was distracted. Dhani tried to play with her, but she kept brushing him off. She poked her head out of her room and slid down a couple of the stairs so she could hear what George and her dad were talking about.

"I'm so sorry Pete, but there's been an accident." George said with a quiet and devastated tone.

"What's happened to Andrea?" Pete asked, sounding near tears to Amelia.

"She seemed to have slipped and fallen." George said, "She was the only one in the kitchen when it happened and when a few of the other cooks came it she was-"

George stopped talking and Pete covered his mouth as a sob shook his body, "Is she-" Pete couldn't get the words out.

"She bled out, Pete," George said, tears starting to fall down his face also, "There was nothing we could do. I'm so sorry!" Pete was wrapped in a hug from George, and Amelia had never seen George hug anyone other than Olivia, Dhani, and sometimes her when she ate dinner with them.

"How'd it happen?" Pete asked after a long silence. George took a deep breath and he shook his head.

"I don't know. The police think that she slipped on some water and hit her head on the counter." George said shrugging, "Olivia knows more than I do right now." Pete nodded as Amelia finally let out a strangled sob. Pete looked up at the stairs and Amelia ran down and she wrapped her arms around him. He gasped and held her in his arms.

"Pete," George said quietly, "Please know you have our condolences and if you ever need anything, you just have to ask. You still have your job, so you don't have to leave unless you just want to. You and Ami will always be welcome here."

Pete nodded and he kissed the top of Amelia's head as Dhani came downstairs, "Daddy, what's wrong with Ami!?" He asked as he watched her cry. George sighed and he picked up his son.

"She'll be alright, Dhani," he whispered. Dhani nodded and George said a small goodbye to Amelia and Pete before he left them to their own thoughts for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Amelia sat on the bench outside the big house on the edge of the garden. Silent tears slid down her lightly freckled cheeks. She missed her mother dreadfully. She wanted nothing more than to be in her arms and to hear her voice singing all the lullabies she sang when Amelia felt sick or lonely. It had been three months exactly since her mother's death. The police wrote it off as an accident, but Amelia knew her father thought otherwise. She often caught him writing something down quickly or looking over his shoulder like something was going to get him. It scared her to see him that way. He clearly tried to hide it, but Amelia saw it most of the time.

She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. She thought about her recent birthday. She's turned 8 within the last week and it had to have been one of the worst of her life. She and Dhani's birthdays were about a month apart, and he'd turned 9 just after her mother's death. She was invited to Dhani's party, but she was too worried about her father and sad because of her mother to have as much fun as Dhani did. She was glad Dhani was having fun on his birthday, but he also seemed to have more fun on her birthday too. She tried, and her dad tried to do everything he could to keep her mind off her mum, but it didn't work too well. She got some really nice presents, most of which were things she wanted, but nothing hurt her more than seeing all the presents and then not seeing one from her mother like every other year.

A sob shook her body as she tried to stay silent. She didn't want her Father to hear her and she didn't want George or Olivia to find her either. She choked a little as she breathed a little heavier and she wiped her nose again. She gave up on trying to be quiet and let out a slightly loud cry. She took in a sharp breath and let out a few more sobs, hoping no one heard her. She was about to look around and make sure no one was around when her hair was tucked behind her ear. She started, thinking it was her father who found her. He was the only one who did that. When she looked up, she was surprised to find Dhani staring at her.

"Are you OK?" he asked with a worried tone. Amelia shook with more sobs as she shook her head. Dhani wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his shoulder as she put her arms around him, "Do you miss her?" he whispered. She nodded and cried some more.

"It hurts," she sobbed. Dhani rubbed her back and he nodded.

"I know," he said. Amelia shook her head. He didn't know. He hadn't lost his mum. He didn't know what it felt like. She knew he was only trying make her feel better, but for some reason it only made her feel worse. She tightened her grip on him, not wanting him to let go. She nuzzled into him and Dhani didn't say anything else. He held her for however long she wanted and she was more than grateful for him.

After a while of sitting there, Amelia let him go and he leaned back against the bench. Dhani put his arm around her shoulders and she sniffled and put her head on his shoulder. She wiped her face with the back of her hand she suddenly felt very ridiculous crying in front of him. She was 8 years old for crying out loud.

"I'm sorry," she said trying to laugh off her embarrassment, "I didn't mean to cry all over you." she poked the spot on his shirt she'd soaked with her tears. Dhani shook his head and he put his other arm around her.

"Don't be sorry," he said, "I want to make you feel better. If that means getting my shirt wet then I don't care." This made Amelia laugh and Dhani grinned at his slight success.

"Are you sure?" she asked sniffling and wiping her nose with her sleeve again. Dhani shrugged.

"Sure I'm sure. You're my best friend, Ami!" he said smiling at her, "So I came looking for you to see if you wanted to come with me and my Dad to see the race." Amelia smiled and she buried her face in Dhani's arm. George liked to go to the motor races, and Dhani had an interest in them too. Amelia thought they were interesting too, and the first time Dhani brought her was because her mother was sick and her father had to work and she was bored out of her mind. George insisted on her coming along. It made her happy to be included in something so special to them.

"You sure you want me along?" Amelia asked as Dhani got her to sit up. She looked at him and he surprised her by kissing her forehead.

"Sure!" he said smiling gently, "I know how much you liked going last time, and Dad says it would be alright if you came. He said he'd talk to your dad and make sure it was alright with him." Amelia grinned and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She hugged him and he hugged her back, tighter than she expected. She felt herself smile as she closed her eyes and buried herself in his shoulder.

"Thank you Dhani." she said gently. Dhani pulled back and got up. He offered her his hand and she took it before he pulled her into the big house he lived in.

Amelia was always amazed when she went inside the house. The first person they came across was Olivia and the first thing she did was hug Amelia. Amelia always loved her. She was always so nice and she was rather close to Amelia's mother. Amelia tried to smile at her, but it came out all wrong. Dhani grabbed her hand again and they walked into his dad's music room and George smiled at her.

"Ah, Ami, are you coming along then?" he asked. Amelia nodded shyly and she hid behind Dhani slightly. George always seemed so big to her. He smiled and nodded, "Good, we'll be leaving in a mo. Dhani will you get Amelia one of your old coats. It gets a bit nippy at the racetrack." Dhani nodded and ran off to do what his father said. Amelia stood there awkwardly as she and George looked at each other.

After Dhani came back with a light jacket fro Amelia, George led them out to the garage. They climbed into the car and Dhani sat in the backseat with Amelia.

"Alright," George said as he pulled out his wallet, "Five pound is in the balance here kids," he said putting the five pound note on the console. Amelia was surprised at the high amount.

When George and Dhani went to see a race they usually chose a car they wanted to win and who ever's car placed the highest got the money. The last race Amelia went to Dhani won it, but it had only been a pound then. The high amount made Amelia even more determined to win this time.

They drove to the racetrack and they found some excellent seat where no one was sitting behind them so Dhani and Amelia could stand up and see better if they needed too.

Amelia had only been to one of these races, but she still had a favorite. Number 38, Jason Marcs. That's the car she chose. Dhani chose #72. Amelia could remember the name of the driver though. George chose a random car, and both kids knew that if his car won he'd give away the money to them or use it to buy them ice cream on the way home.

The race started and Dhani and Amelia talked as they watched the cars go around the track. The race wasn't all that interesting, it never was till closer to the end. About halfway through the race George bought them popcorn and they shared a soda while they watched some more.

It got closer to the end of the race, when things got exciting and thrilling, and both Amelia and Dhani stood up to see better. Amelia was delighted to see her car was in 3rd place. The only problem with it was that Dhani's car was in 2nd place.

She watched as her car pulled up next to Dhani's 72 car. She stood up on her toes to try and see better as the cars rode around the far corner. She got up on top of her seat with Dhani as they cheered their selected cars on. As the cars raced by them, they entered into their last lap. Amelia was suddenly grateful for the jacket she was given as the wind once again whipped her hair around her face.

The racers went around the first corner of the track, over taking the 1st place car. On the next corner Dhani's car overtook Amelia's. Her heart pounded in her chest at the entered the third turn. Jason's car met with Dhani's car again as they entered the last turn. As they raced for the finish line, Amelia was sure her choice of car was going to lose! Dhani's car seemed so much faster than hers. Then, at the very last possible second, Amelia's #38 car pulled past Dhani's #72 and crossed the finish line.

Amelia screamed and cheered loudly as Dhani groaned with ultimate defeat. George laughed at Amelia as ehs cheered Jason Marcs on as he did his victory lap around the track.

Soon everything was quiet for the most part and George got the kids to settle down in their seats again.

"Jason won!" Amelia exclaimed excited that she'd won the whole Five pounds. George giggled and Dhani high fived her.

"Do you want to meet Jason?" George said suddenly having an idea. Amelia's mouth dropped open.

"You know Jason Marcs!?" She asked in amazement. George bit his lip and shook his head.

"Well no, but what's the point of being an Ex-Beatle if it can't get you into to meet people?" He asked with a light laugh. Neither of the kids knew what he meant, but they went along with him down toward the track.

George talked to a security guard for a minute and Dhani poked at Amelia and she picked back at him like they usually did. Then, almost randomly, George lifted up Amelia and he set her on his shoulders. She laughed happily as George took Dhani's hand and they walked into a garage where all the racers and cars were.

Amelia gasped and her mouth hung open when she saw Jason Marcs standing by his car talking to someone. George chuckled at her as they approached. Jason looked at them and smiled. He seemed to recognized George and his mouth hung open, much like Amelia's was.

"Hey, you're George Harrison!" He said offering his hand to George. George laughed and shook his hand carefully, so not to drop Amelia. Jason had an American accent and Amelia liked it alot.

"I am," George said, "But I'm here because I happen to have a big fan." George took Amelia off his shoulders and she shyly stood next to George.

"Oh?" Jason said crouching down in front of her, "And what's your name?"

"Ami," was all she was able to get out. Jason smiled at her.

"Well I'm Jason." He held out his hand and she took it gingerly. She couldn't believe she was actually meeting her favorite racer, "Did you enjoy the race?" Amelia nodded and giggled.

"I knew you were going to win!" she said, making him laugh. George talked to Jason for a second before Dhani came into the conversation and AMelia just looked at Jason in awe.

When they were about to leave Jason gave them each a photo that he signed. It was a picture of Jason and his car. Amelia grinned and gave him a hug, making Jason laugh a little.

After they left, Amelia was the happiest person in the world! As she and Dhani climbed into the back seat of the car, She was jabbering on and on about Jason Marcs. Once she was all buckled up George handed her the five pounds he owed her and she put it safely in pocket.

Amelia fell asleep on the way home and George looked back to see her head on Dhani's shoulder. He smirked as Dhani made a face and tried to put his arm around her.

George's smile was wiped off his face as he pulled up to the driveway to Friar Park. There were police cars and an ambulance outside of the little house Amelia and her father lived at. All the people were gathered around where the lake was and George spotted Olivia as he parked the car.

"Dad what's going on?" Dhani asked looking out the window. George shrugged.

"I don't know, son, stay here with Ami." George got out of the car and Dhani watched him as he walked to Olivia and she explained what happened. Amelia woke up from all the flashing lights and the loud sirens. She looked out the window and gasped.

"No, no, no!" she said scrambling out of the car. She ran toward George, but Dhani caught her.

"Dad said to stay in the car!" he said holding tight to her wrist. That didn't stop her. When she was standing close enough to here Olivia talk she felt her heart rate pick up.

"He fell George," She said, "Someone came looking for him when he didn't show up for shift change and they found him drowned in the lake." George shook his head and he ran his fingers through his hair.

"What about Amelia?" he asked. Olivia shook her head, looking like she might cry at any second.

"I don't know." Olivia said before she saw Amelia standing behind George, looking like she was about to pass out.

George whipped around and he looked at Dhani and Amelia, "Dhani I told you to keep her in the car." Dhani tried to to explain, but Amelia cut him off.

"Mr. George, what's happened?" she asked, "Who's drowned?" George gave her a sympathetic look as he knelt down in front of her.

"I'm so sorry, love," he said pushing her hair back, "It was your dad." Amelia instantly erupted into tears. George pulled her to him and she sobbed into his chest. He looked at Olivia who had her mouth covered and her eyes closed as she silently cried. Dhani ran to her and she held her arms around him. George tried his hardest to comfort Amelia, but she was crying too much to hear him. He finally lifted her up and started to walk up to the house. Dhani stayed behind with his mum.

By the time George got into the house, Amelia had stopped crying and she was just staring off into space. George took her into Dhani's room and he helped her into some of Dhani's pajamas before he put her in Dhani's bed. He covered her up and he found she was already mostly asleep. He took a deep breath and he kissed her forehead before he left the room.

How could this have happened? George had a lot of thinking to do within the next 24 hours.


	3. Chapter 3

"Amelia!"

Amelia didn't look up from her work. She had to get this done before the weekend was over. She had school the following day and George wouldn't be happy if she didn't finish all her work liked she'd promise a million time she would.

"Amelia!"

She pulled her rake toward her, collecting a small bunch of dead leaves that rustled into the bigger pile she'd created. She Sighed. She was almost done. If he'd just wait a few minutes longer.

"Amelia!"

She quickened her pace and quickly gathered the last of the leaves before she swept them into a giant trash bag. She sealed it up tight before she tossed it with the other one she'd filled.

"AMI!"

Amelia whipped around with a huff to see her best friend Dhani glaring at her impatiently. She cocked an eyebrow before she collected her tools and walked away. She walked toward her house and she put the rake and her hedge clippers in the shed before she dusted off her jeans and she walked toward her front door.

"Amelia, what's gotten into you?" Dhani huffed trying to keep up with her. She shrugged, without speaking to him and went inside. She left the door open if he wanted to come inside. It was late and she was starving. The sun was going down and all she could think was that she had to get up to the big house and help in the kitchen. Amelia grabbed something quick before she washed her hands and face and she changed her shirt into something not sweaty and dirty. Dhani watched this whole thing, her running around like a loony, while he leaned against the counter and munched on an apple. When she was finished she looked at him.

"What?" Amelia asked rolling her eyes. He nodded to her school bag.

"You forgot to do your homework again." he said, noticing it's been sitting in the same place all weekend. She huffed and walked past him.

"I have more important things to do." Amelia muttered, grabbing her shoulder bag and walking out to where she remembered George left the golf cart for her. She started it as Dhani hopped into the passenger seat. She drove up to the backside of the big house and she cut off the golf cart.

"You really should be doing your schoolwork," Dhani said after neither of them moved. Amelia sighed and she looked the the steering wheel blankly, "You know my dad would rather you do your homework than the stuff you think you have to do around here."

"I don't want to talk about this Dhani," Amelia said getting out of the cart and walking to the door that led into the kitchen. Dhani followed her and he grabbed her wrist before she could go inside. She hated being grabbed by her wrist, she never thought about why because she was too scared of what she'd come up with. Most of all her bad memories came from when she was 8.

"But Ami, I'm worried about you. Dad's worried about you. He sees all your reports from school, and he thinks your flunking out on purpose!"

"Well maybe I am!" Amelia said rolling her eyes. Dhani hated when she acted this way. She was impossible to talk to. Dhani felt her try and pull her wrist free. He knew hated when he grabbed her there. I knew why, but he didn't think she knew why. He looked at her wrist and he saw her hand ball into a fist.

"Dhani," She said, clearly trying to sound tough. He heard the tremble in her voice though, "Let go of me." He did let her got he just waited for her to jerk her arm away again, but she didn't move. Dhani took in a deep breath before he let go of her arm and turned away from her. He walked to the golf cart and drove off. Amelia sighed, feeling bad for treating hims so terribly, before she put on a slight smile and went into the kitchen.

She was greeted by David and Hailey, who were the two main cooks in the kitchen. David worked with Amelia's mother before she died and Haylie was hired just after. Amelia recently started to work in the kitchen by George's permission in addition to gardening. He told her that she had her mother's cooking skills ad that he hadn't tasted food like hers since her mother was cooking for them. This made Amelia extremely happy to here as you can expect.

"Hey," She said smiling at the two cooks, "What have the Harrisons ordered tonight?" Haylie rolled her eyes and handed Amelia the page with the menu on it. Something had been bothering Amelia when it came to Haylie. When Amelia started working in the kitchen, Haylie took an immediate disliking to her. Amelia never did anything to her either.

"Looks like Mr. Harrison wants to see his favorite worker" David chortled in her ear. She didn't ever admit it, but she was George's favorite worker, and she thought maybe that was part of Haylie's resentment.

The menu wasn't difficult at all. In fact it made Amelia laugh when she saw what it all was:

**Menu:**

**Spaghetti and Meatballs**

**Garlic Cheese toast**

**Tea & Coke to drink**

**(Amelia you must be here for dinner)**

She looked and saw that most everything was already ready. The spaghetti was in bowl and the beard was on a tray. Amelia got the tea ready quickly before she grabbed the other drinks and then She, David, and Haylie took the food to the dining room. Olivia and George were just getting to sit down and Dhani was waiting for them looking cross. She hated seeing that because she knew she made him cross.

George smiled at her when he saw her and she sat down hesitantly next to Olivia. She usually sat next to Dhani, but she didn't want to bother him.

The plates were fixed and it unnerved Amelia how no one spoke for the longest time. Until George spoke up.

"So, Dhani, Ami, how's school been going?"

Dhani smirked and Amelia just knew he was gonna tattle on her, "Oh it's going great. Algebra this year's definitely tough, don't you think so, Ami?" he asked cocking an eyebrow. She gritted her teeth and looked at her plate. She does admit to not doing homework, but she didn't have the time to. She did have a job to do after all.

"Ami?" Olivia asked frowning slightly. She looked up at Olivia and smiled.

"Yeah, Dhani," She mumbled, "Really hard." she looked back at her plate and George seemed to notice her strange behaviour. Amelia suddenly wondered why they wanted her to eat dinner with them. Sure she ate with them a lot, but George never demanded it in the menu before.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, Amelia about your algebra grades." He said. Amelia flinched and forced herself to look back at him.

"Oh?" She asked, acting like she didn't know what he was talking about. He was her Parent/Guardian. He was the one to sign the slips when things at school went amiss. He was the one that got the calls from the principle when grades were slipping.

"Yes," George said calmly, "Mr. Frederick told me that your teachers have complained about your absent homework."

Amelia sighed and she put her fork down, "Is this the only reason you want me to have dinner with you?" she asked trying to change the subject. George shook his head.

"No, you're here having dinner with us because you are more apart of the family than not." George said, "That being said, I'm trusting you to get your homework turned in from here on out." He gave her a disappointed look and Amelia nearly broke down crying. George became her second father after her actual father died. He and Olivia took care of her and they let her stay at their house until a few months ago when she moved back into her old house at the edge of the property. She never had her own room either. She always remembered sharing with Dhani because she got scared without him. She hated to disappoint George or Olivia because of all the things they've done for her.

"Yes sir." She mumbled, and then she asked to be excused. George excused her, but asked her not to leave the house just yet. She sighed and went into the small library they had toward the front of the house. She stayed in there and read for a while before Dhani found her and he sat down next to her. She wouldn't have minded him any if she wasn't sitting in an armchair. He was practically sitting on top of her.

"Dhani!" she exclaimed moving over so he wasn't so close. This didn't help, she was just squished now. Dhani laughed and pulled her over into his lap as he drew his legs up. They were cuddled in a tight ball as she continued to read.

"My Dad said you were part of the family." he said, trying to distract her, "Does that mean that you're like...my sister?" Amelia blushed and tried hard not to let him see it.

"No," she said, "If I was your sister, I'd live here."

"If my dad had his way you'd be living here anyway." He countered, "He wants you around, Ami." Amelia sighed.

"I know he does," she said, "And I'm grateful he wants me around, but-"

"But you're scared he'll replace someone?" Dhani asked hesitantly. Amelia closed her book and sighed. She let her head drop onto his chest as Dhani slid his arms around her waist.

When they were younger, Dhani couldn't bare to say her parent's name after they died because he thought it upset Amelia, so he'd call them the someones. Her someones.

"I'm scared he'll replace someone." she said quietly.

"Well you let mum replace someone." he said. Amelia rolled her eyes.

"That's different, Dhani." she said sitting up, "I needed a mum when I was little. She helped me more than you even know."

"Well my Dad helped you too!" Dhani said protesting. Amelia got up and rolled her eyes. She put her book back on the shelf and sat down on the couch across from Dhani.

"I know he has, and like I said I'm grateful for that, but Dhani it kills me already when he gives me that disappointed look, and I don't think I could handle that if-"

"Ami!" Dhani said, "All I'm trying to ask you is if you'll stay here instead of that little house. I know your mum and dad lived there and you want to stay, but we worry about you out there all by yourself."

Amelia sighed, "I don't know Dhani, just let me think about it I guess. I mean I just moved in there." she said quietly as the library doors opened and George stepped in, "Hi." She huffed. George sat next to her and he threw a pillow at her. She smiled as he mind flashed back to when she was 8 or 9.

_Amelia was sitting on the couch in the library looking at all the books, wondering which one she'd like to read when George came in and sat down. She'd been rather unhappy the last few days and she hadn't wanted to see or talk to anyone, not even Dhani. George took notice after she declined going with him and Dhani to the cinema. George was watching her and she sighed. He cocked an eyebrow and he tossed a pillow at her. She'd tried hard not to smile after that, but it just happened and then George giggled, making her laugh. Her mood was brighter for a bit after that._

Amelia giggled as George threw another pillow at her. It hit her in the head and she made a face. George moved to throw another one, but she glared at him.

"Stop George!" She said holding out her hand as he threw the pillow. George stopped moving when he suddenly pounced. He tickled her side and Amelia laughed loudly trying to get him off. For years, George had used this to cheer her up, and she hated it! She was very ticklish and George knew where exactly to tickle her. Dhani watched all this happen as Amelia slid off the couch and George sat on his stomach on th couch, still tickling her.

"Please stop!" she begged through her laughing. Dhani giggled and George smirked, "Dad please!" Amelia got up off the ground and she moved away from him, realizing what she'd said. She looked between Dhani and George, who looked quite normal. Why didn't they see that she was uncomfortable? Didn't they hear what she'd just said. They looked at back at her and George seemed to realize what was wrong.

"Oh, Ami it's not a-" George started to say, but Amelia didn't want her hear him say it was alright. She didn't want him to say it was fine for her to call him that because it wasn't, not to her. She left the house as quickly as she could and she ran to her little home. SHe slammed the front door and locked it before she ran upstairs to her room and slammed and locked that door too. She felt like crying as she plopped down on her bed. She could see out her window someone running up to her front door, but she couldn't tell if it was George or Dhani. She'd find out in a minute anyway. Dhani always climbed up to her window from the tree out front and George had a spare key. She looked around her room as she found that little spot in her wall that opened up to a cupboard. She remembered hiding lots of things in that little cupboard.

She got down on her knees and opened it. She giggled and pulled out Dhani's old teddy bear, one she had taken as a joke and forgotten about. She found a necklace her mother gave her and pages she didn't recognize. She pulled them out and recognized her father's handwriting. It had been a while since she saw it, but she knew for sure it was him. She found herself breathing hard as she read the startling pages.

She jumped out of her skin and shrieked when George sat down next to her and he put his arm around her.


End file.
